To Kill A Mockingbird Innocence Theme

In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee portrays the story through the eyes of a young girl named Scout. This novel takes place in the 1930’s during the Great Depression in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout and her brother Jem are growing up, enduring the hardships of the Tom Robinson trial and uncovering the mysteries of Boo Radley. Harper Lee incorporates the themes of love and innocence into the book, expressing it through the use of character interaction. First and foremost, two characters that greatly display the theme of love and innocence are Scout and Dill. Dill, or Charles Baker Harris, is a boy that lives with his Aunt Rachel next door every summer. He ends up falling in love with our main character, Scout, and she

Boo Radley is a huge component in the storyline, his importance leading to the large resolution at the end of the novel. Boo being held up in his house for many years, causing lack of maturity and growing up, has him manage to maintain his childlike innocence. Especially when he finally meets Scout and asks, “”Will you take me home?” He almost whispered it, in the voice of a child afraid of the dark” (Lee 319). His child voice and being afraid definitely show a form of innocence in Boo. He never had many experiences outside of the house, so he acts as if he was still the child he was before he stayed in that house for so long. Boo Radley is also considered a Mockingbird, the symbol of innocence in the book. Jem conveys the theme of love for his sister Scout when he takes his birthday money to buy her a twirling baton (even though his caring gift didn’t last long). “Jem thought he had enough to buy a miniature steam engine for himself and a twirling baton for me” (Lee 116). While he does end up snapping it in half during his rage towards Mrs. Dubose, it is clear that Jem had loving intentions towards Scout. The author most definitely used this theme to show their sibling relationship, and add to the intense moment in Jem’s destruction of Mrs. Dubose’s flowers. During the trial in the book, Jem was incredibly certain of his father’s win. Atticus (his father) was